The Science and Religion Project

The founders of Counterbalance believe that valuable insights come when theories from the worlds of science and religion are integrated or held in tension - i.e. counterbalanced . Purely scientific views serve well when we need to explain physical nature around us, but science is mostly inept when we try and apply it to problems of human-nature, or to ethically complex situations. Similarly, a purely traditional religious view provides an ethical framework, but has little to say about new technologies.

Contemporary issues, such those raised by new  developments in genetics demonstrate the problem: Genetic engineering is clearly a high-technology science, but it begs very deep ethical questions - questions that experimental science alone cannot answer for us. Issues such as these show the need for collaboration, (and advancement) in the fields of science-policy, philosophy, ethics and religion.

Fundamentally, we believe that science and religion are often engaged in the pursuit of answers to similar questions: Where did we come from? Where are we going? Is there a reason we are here? How do we (or should we) interact with each other and the environment around us? It is our belief that the more complete answers to these questions may be available only when views from both science and religion are held together to form an integrated whole.

A Word to the Scientific Community

We  believe the full force of objective scientific rigor should be brought to issues. No questions should be taboo. If new evidence is brought to light that would affect previous conclusions, then new theories should emerge.

Scientific inquiry should be, by definition, value-free. However, we also believe that technology - the application of science to real-life situations, including science research - cannot be value-free.

When concepts from the heart of the religious/theological world are discussed, a degree of faith may be required to follow reasoning. However, theological theories need not necessarily require more 'faith' than that required to follow tentative theories from the natural  sciences, where we currently only have probabilistic models or untested/untestable  ideas.

Counterbalance will be religiously scientific. This is our commitment to stay true to scientific principles.

A Word to the Religious Community

We believe that faith plays a central role in most, perhaps all, understanding.  The founders of Counterbalance are unapologetic adherents to Judeo-Christian theology, which we believe to be a compelling and potentially complete explanation of the reality we experience. However, Counterbalance is not an evangelistic organization. To quote the Apostle Paul "[we] are not ashamed of the Gospel," but we are also keen to benefit from insights that may only come when the Christian worldview is reduced to the bare bones that can be appreciated,  critiqued and potentially enhanced by people who find the most genuine expression of spirituality within other religious traditions, or with no religious convictions. It is our opinion that insights and wisdom from the biblical record and contemporary Christian theology can stand as true and valuable on their own, and as such, Counterbalance will not stress the scriptural source of these principles as an argument for their validity.

Counterbalance will be scientifically religious. This is our commitment to stay true to established theological principles, and to good scholarship.